unable to floss

This is the place to post general questions and comments about all areas of orthodontic treatment. Before you post a question, use the forum's SEARCH tool to see if your question has already been answered!

New Members: YOU MUST MAKE A POST WITHIN 24 HOURS OF REGISTERING OR YOUR ACCOUNT WILL BE DELETED. In other words, don't sign up unless you plan to actively participate in the message board immediately. This is necessary to keep out spammers and lurkers with bad intentions. Of course, you can read most forums on the board without registering.

DO NOT POST FULL-FACE PHOTOS or personal contact information on this website. We have had problems with people re-posting members' photos on fetish websites. Please only post photos of your teeth, not your whole face. Keep your email and your personal information private. Thank you.

Moderator: bbsadmin

Post Reply
Message
Author
toothfairy
Posts: 31
Joined: Tue Aug 08, 2006 12:45 am
Contact:
Contact toothfairy

unable to floss

#1 Post by toothfairy »

It's been a day since I got my upper braces on (whoop), and besides tender teeth, I'm doing okay. :)

Now, I've come to find that I'm unable to floss between my teeth. Before I had braces, I was able to floss...on the rare occasions that I did. According to the little instruction booklet that I got, you're supposed to use the threader and slide the floss behind your archwire, and then pull up through your teeth up to the gums. Well, I just flossed tonight, and have found that I'm unable to pull the floss up through my teeth because it's too tight. Even when I'm using some strength, it doesn't go through! (And, it makes my teeth hurt) Is this normal? The only way that I've been able to floss is to use the threader and 'thread' it through the space between my teeth at my gumline (does that make sense?).

Also, I'm not a frequent flosser (shame on me, I know :oops:), and I've been flossing every night since I got the braces (so that would mean a grand total of one night :lol:). I've noticed a little gum blood from when I move the floss up into the gums - is this expected, and will my gums stop bleeding after I floss for a while? When I went to get my teeth cleaned at the dentist, he said that my gums were healthy.

Last but not least...when they say floss every tooth, they really mean it, including the molars, right?

TIA!
Image
Image

9/11/06: 1st adjustment
10/13/06: Extraction of the molar
10/16/06: 2nd adjustment
Expected treatment time: ~24 months
Top
Lisa65
Posts: 3469
Joined: Thu Jun 01, 2006 12:12 pm

#2 Post by Lisa65 »

Hi toothfairy

I have tight inderdental spaces too and I use Crest Glide Floss which is more like a tape, and is kind of lubricated so it will slide even into tiny spaces.

If you haven't been a regular flosser then expect to get a little bleeding to start with. If you keep on with the flossing the bleeding will stop after a few days.

And yes, when they say floss every tooth they mean just that! Molars are about the worst for getting stuff stuck between them. You will probably be surprised just how much gunge comes out when you get that floss in there.
Top
Lisa65
Posts: 3469
Joined: Thu Jun 01, 2006 12:12 pm

#3 Post by Lisa65 »

Do you need a job lot of Glidefloss shipped out to Oz Karen?

I can't get on with Superfloss either really. I tried it but I can't easily get it into the gaps.
Top
Smiley77
Posts: 110
Joined: Wed Jul 05, 2006 4:34 am
Contact:
Contact Smiley77

#4 Post by Smiley77 »

The same thing happened to me, and it was just extra glue that eventually wore off in small shards.

HTH
7 extractions 19 July 2006

8 spacers put in 7th August


Image





I can't wait for that perfect smile
Top
Kell
Posts: 218
Joined: Tue Jan 10, 2006 5:37 am
Contact:
Contact Kell

#5 Post by Kell »

The same thing happened to me, and it was just extra glue that eventually wore off in small shards.
Good point. I had trouble with glue between a few of my teeth at the beginning too. I have to use the Crest Glide Floss as well. Any other kind is impossible to get through.
Kelly
See my WWW link below.
Image
Top
hippyhippo
Posts: 136
Joined: Wed Jul 05, 2006 12:14 pm
Location: Canada

#6 Post by hippyhippo »

As others have mentioned, bleeding of gums is normal if you're not a regular flosser. It means they're inflammed and you likely have a bit of gingivitas.

The good news is that if you keep up flossing every single day (and yes, between every single tooth!), your gums will become nice and healthy, flossing won't hurt as much, and you won't bleed! You should really notice a huge difference in less than two weeks time of regular flossing. Using an antibacterial mouthwash after you floss should also help kill all the bacteria you stirred up (plus it makes your gums feel better!).

I'm speaking from experience, as I used to have really bad gums b/c I was lazy with flossing -- maybe once or twice a week with the "wrong" kind of floss for my teeth. And yes, I sometimes skipped my molars -- oops. Once I knew I was getting braces (back in April), I became anal and made sure I flossed every day, sometimes twice. And I also started using dentotape for floss, which works MUCH better, at least for me. I just had a checkup and my hygienest was shockd at the difference in my gums. She couldn't stop praising me, saying I had some of the nicest gums she's seen lately. Yay!

So if I can do it, so can you :) That is, once you can get the floss between your teeth! :?
Image
Image
Top
Julie08
Posts: 103
Joined: Thu Aug 03, 2006 10:14 pm

Flossing

#7 Post by Julie08 »

I have been a faithful flosser for years, but I also had a lot of trouble getting the floss in between my teeth the first couple of days after getting my uppers braced, and could only do so by inserting the threader directly at the gumline, so I know exactly what you mean. Even then, it was difficult, especially near the back and the first time I spent a lot of time just trying to get to one tooth - very frustrating. Then all of the sudden - Day 3, I think -it got much easier. I've only been a braced one week, so I don't have a lot of experience to go on - but it seems like my teeth shift a little each day and it might be kind of hard to floss in one place one day and a different place another day - but it seems overall to be getting easier.
Top
Zondrae
Posts: 195
Joined: Tue Aug 08, 2006 8:57 pm
Location: Australia

#8 Post by Zondrae »

I'm having a lot of the same problems. My front teeth are really hard up against each other & I can't get the floss in there. I can thread it in at the gum line, but it doesn't fit all the way down. I was wondering if there was glue stuck in there too? :?:

I suppose we just have to keep at it.
Image
Top
vivie
Posts: 28
Joined: Fri Jul 07, 2006 9:59 am
Location: Baltiimore, Maryland
Contact:
Contact vivie

#9 Post by vivie »

I have top braces too and I must say its been a challenge but when you keep doing it every day it gets better and you become a pro :D
Top
Post Reply

Return to “Metal Mouth Forum”